Peters



rams

PATENT OFFICE.,I

ROBERT L. STEVENS, `OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

specificati@ of Letters Patent Ne. 2,821, dated october 17,1842.

1 To all whom t may concern.'

`Be it known that I, ROBERT L. STEVENS, of the city of New York, in theState of New York, have made certain Improvements in the Manner of Constructing Vessels fhich are to `be Propelled by Steam, which improvements consist, first, in the manner in which I form the vessel and the propelling apparatus `and combine them with each other; and, second, in a new and useful manner of turning a vessel around either side to,which may be effected in a narrow channel without its being necessary to move here either ahead or astern; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description of my said improvements.

The propeller, or propellers, which I intend to employ, is furnished with vanes, or buckets which arezplaced around a shaft; the axis of which Stands horizontally, s0 that the vanes, or buckets, shall revolve vertically, in the manner of those essayed by Col. John Stevens at New York, in, or about the year 1801, and since that period frequently tried by others. The' vanes of said propellers are to be so curved and arranged that each of them shall constitute a segment of a spiral, set around a common center; of these vanes, or buckets, there may be siX or eight, more or less, to each propeller In the use of propellers of this description, the principal difliculty has arisen from the obstruction occasioned by the water at, or near, their centres, or shafts; this diiculty I remove by forming and carrying out the hull of the vessel, toward the stern, in such manner as that it shall terminate in a cone; and around a suitable part of this cone, the vanes, or buckets, are to be arranged. That part of the cone to which the vanes are attached, together with the whole portion eX- stitute a large proportion of the whole diameter of the wheel, say from one third to one half, more or less. I intend sometimes to use a single propelling wheel of the kind above described; but I contemplate, also, the employment of two such wheels, which may be made to revolve in reversed directions.

`In this case, I formtwo conical bodies, one

g on each side of the vessel, each of which carries, and constitutes a part of a revolving propeller. f

In the accompanying drawingFigure l, is a side view ofthe after part of a vessel, with a single propeller. At a suitable part on each side of the vessel, dependent upon her mold as Aat A,Hthe conical body which is to be constructed, is begun to be formed, and this is carried back until it terminates in a point as at A; the part of the cone A", extending.

from its point, A,\to A, is allowed to revolve, and` for thispurpose it `is attached to a shaft B, B, which uextends forward through the center of the conical body A, to t-he engine. This shaft is surrounded` by a stuffing boX, where it escapes from the cone A, as at` A. The vanes, or` buckets, C, C, are shown as attached near to the base of the revolving part of the cone; these buckets are intended to be kept entirely below the water line.

lFig. 2, is astern view of a vessel having a `single propelling wheel of the kind herein described. In this case, `as the `wheel occupies the ordinary posit-ion of the rudder, the vessel may be steered by a double rudder situated below the counter, or in other known ways. By this mode of construction the center portion of the wheel is not in any way acted upon by the water, and this fluid is made to pass off from the wheel, and from the vessel, along the cone, in the same direction in which it meets the wheel, and which it naturally tends to assume in the vessels progress.

Fig. 3, represents the stern of a vessel having two propelling wheels of the kind above described, which are shown in a hori- Zontal section through their axes in Fig. 5. When these are used, a cone is formed on each side of the vessel, is extended aft, and has a revolving portion, with a shaft passing forward through the stationary part of the cone, as described in the case of the employment of one wheel only. The rudder, when two wheels are used, may occupy its usual place. The vanes, or buckets, are to be so curved, or twisted, as to adapt their respective parts to their action upon the Vwater as resulting from the rapidity of their revolution. From the large diameter of the part to which they are attached, they may be veryiirmly fixed in place; and the buoyancy of the revolving part of the cone may be such as to sustain the whole weight of the wheel, and thus'diminish its friction upon its bearings. used, they may be located forwardof the stern post, under the Counter, as shown'by the dotted lines at Cf, Fig. l.

The following is the manner in which I construct the apparatus'by means of which I turn aV Vessel around, either side to; I conafter part of thehull shall terminate in one for' two cones, in the manner set forth; the t after'partof such cone, Vwhere it equals onethird or one-half of the whole diameter ofV :thepropelling wheel, more or less, constituting the central portion of a spiral propelstruct a tube of such diameter as may be requiredl by the size of the vessel, say from four to six'feet; and of such length as to extend from side to side, through the hold, near either to the'stem orfthe stern, but preferring the latter,` as most convenient. Within .this tube I place a spiral propelling wheel which may be made to revolve in eitherdirection,.so as to produce a rapid'current of water across from one side of the vessel to the other; the effect of which will beto cause Lher to turn around, as upon afpivot.

The propeller in this tube may be driven by a small engine constructed l for `that purpose, and which may be supplied with steam from. the boiler of the main engine. y

f In F ig. l, D, shows the opening intojone end of the above named tube. F ig. 4, is a vertical ycross section of the vessel through said tube, which is made to curvedown toward its middle for the purpose of passing the shaft of the propeller through it; E, is

lJVhen two propelling wheels are the shaft E, may beturned by any suitable,y

linY as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is,

l1 The so forming of a vessel as that the ling wheel,.revolving.with it, and being susand forthe purpose, herein'set forth.

2. I claimtheturning of a Vessel round, either side.to,by thel passing of a'hollow ,tube through the hold of such vessel, to`

ward'eithenof her ends, in the manner set forth, and by causing a cur-rent of water to pass through said tube, in either direction, by means of a spiral propeller made to re- Avolve within said tube, as herein fully described. l

ROBT. L. STEVENS.

Witnesses: 4

THos. P. JONES', EDWIN L. BRUNDAGE.

ltained 'and driven by. a shaft extended forward through the axis of the stationary partl `ofthe cone;`the whole being constructed, and operating, substantially in the manner, 

